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Re: Locked out of Xara DP11 once again!
I wish Xara would adopt ReNoise's copy protection policy:
They have a server side patcher that, when you download the full version from their site, it patches the code with all of your information scattered through out algorithmically. If they ever find a pirated version floating around with your info on it, you get your license revoked. Also, if other people install it, it also has your name coded inside of it on the start up screen too. :)
I really don't like online policies. In America, at least, the internet is still not widespread enough to a lot of places to even think about requiring an offline program to be online to use. I have this issue with some android stuff as well: I have a tablet that only has half of the programs working unless I'm at home, which makes it useless for travel to me if my drawing programs and such won't work without wifi.
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Re: Locked out of Xara DP11 once again!
Hi Phil. I'd be interested to hear about your experiences with Xara's new DRM. Can you summarise what triggered the three lock-outs you've had so far? I too am very sceptical of the approach Xara have adopted and it causing me to re-consider my purchase of DP11.
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Re: Locked out of Xara DP11 once again!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Oops
Hi Phil. I'd be interested to hear about your experiences with Xara's new DRM. Can you summarise what triggered the three lock-outs you've had so far? I too am very sceptical of the approach Xara have adopted and it causing me to re-consider my purchase of DP11.
Oops, Phil's experiences are already well documented. The DRM is not new, we have experienced it for a few versions. Phil's mishaps may be down to something specific to his set-up. In all my year's of using Xara products, I have only had one problem over a malformed licence number and I was given a new one within hours. Part of the bad press Xara seems to gain is as they are UK-based and working office hours, time zone differences seem to sucker punch its responsiveness. I have yet to hear of someone totally left high and dry. Those who get into difficulty come here and usually someone has enough experience to assist.
Simple tip: in buying a Xara product, download all the same versioned trials but don't run them. Keep them in reserve if you main application blows. You then have a fall-back for the period of the trial's duration.
Acorn
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Re: Locked out of Xara DP11 once again!
Hello Acorn,
I gathered Phil's experiences are already documented on Talk Graphics from how he wrote his OP. I thought Phil might be able to give a quick summary, and I expect he might be glad to.
Whether or not problems are wider spread is of no interest to me.
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Re: Locked out of Xara DP11 once again!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Oops
Hello Acorn, I gathered Phil's experiences are already documented on Talk Graphics from how he wrote his OP. I thought Phil might be able to give a quick summary, and I expect he might be glad to.
Whether or not problems are wider spread is of no interest to me.
Oops, you appear to have a singular view on how a community forum works. People communicate a problem or experience. They get help or comment and everyone gains.
Acorn
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Re: Locked out of Xara DP11 once again!
I think I just accidentally gained an insight into this "lock-out" phenomenon. I have just added a new upmarket wifi router to my network because the one inside my isp's modem/router was not working properly any more. The original internal wifi router kept the wired lan ip addresses and the wifi ip addresses in the one address range, e.g. 10.1.1.1 to 10.1.1.254. The new external router only connects to the original wired lan ip address range to gain access to the wired lan and to the internet and occupies one of the 10.1.1.xxx addresses to do so. It then doles out new ip addresses in a different address range, e.g. 192.168.1.1 to 192.168.1.254 to all the phones, tablets, computers, etc. that connect to it by wifi. I sincerely hope you are not all glazing over yet, it gets more interesting now.
Anyhow, I just tried to start up XDP11 and I was shocked when the screen asking if I had changed my equipment came up for the first time ever. Note that the ONLY thing I have changed recently is the addition today of an external router which, as I have explained above, puts my pc on a different ip address range if I connect by wifi. Also note that I have changed my hard disc for a Samsung SSD some months ago and that that rather major change caused absolutely no problem with my XDP11 license. I call it a major change because all the data off the old mechanical hard disc was transferred across to the new SSD and the locations of data such as secreted registration codes would definitely have changed in the process. Note that I had used XDP11 yesterday without incident.
I realised that I was connecting by wifi (which I don't usually do on this pc) because I had just been doing some setup of the new router and that procedure has to be done inside it's ip range, not the modem's ip range. I decided that I would not proceed with Xara's re-registration procedure being aware of the mess that Phill and others seem to have been caught up in. So I declined Xara's dialogue which also terminated startup of XDP11 and I then turned off my pc's wifi. Now this is where it got v-e-r-y interesting! I did not restart my pc or do anything else except start XDP11 which proceeded to open up quite normally and without any intervention by Xara =D>
So it looks to me as though Xara include your local ip address range in their check for equipment change. I probably do not have to tell you how stupid that is and if I am right about this, it needs to be removed from Xara's bona fide checking without further delay. IP address ranges are a dynamic thing, especially on portable pc's that can be expected to be connecting to many networks with unknown address ranges. Xara have absolutely no right to inconvenience any legitimate user who happens to connect their Xara-registered pc to various networks, either wifi or wired. It's the pc that's registered, not the network it is connected to. If I am right about this, Xara have made a HUGE mistake in their program code and have caused a great deal of stress to Phill and others!
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Re: Locked out of Xara DP11 once again!
It could well be that it's the MAC address of the internet connection that is different and not the IP address. I very much don't think anyone would use the IP address as machine specific information, not least because 99.9% of machines will be in the same range.
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Re: Locked out of Xara DP11 once again!
I've noticed this in the past with XDP10
And I am not sure it is the IP - I think it is doing a check on the xara server which fails when connected and does not fail when not - when this happened to me my IP was dynamic not static and had been so fora long time; also I changed wi-fi routers twice, once as a result of changing ISP
I sorted it by going back to a saved system image which included activated xara - there was then no problem [the IP continuing to be dynamic]
don't know why it suddenly decided to do this, and since moving to XDP11 it has not happened so far
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Re: Locked out of Xara DP11 once again!
Can confirm, it's not based on your IP but interesting steps you took.
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Re: Locked out of Xara DP11 once again!
Well, whatever it is, Xara should be asking if the case is truly repeatable and if so, replicate it in-house and fix it.
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Re: Locked out of Xara DP11 once again!
We have, couldn't replicate it, but still looking into these activation issues.
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Re: Locked out of Xara DP11 once again!
Rob, if you guys have tried to replicate the conditions of the 8.30 post, I am impressed.
I wonder if jaydear can replicate it?
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Re: Locked out of Xara DP11 once again!
if it helps I thought at the time it might be a local firewall issue... but no actual evidence - firewalls are usually in place on routers although most 'ordinary' useres don't change them from default settings...
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Re: Locked out of Xara DP11 once again!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
handrawn
if it helps I thought at the time it might be a local firewall issue... but no actual evidence - firewalls are usually in place on routers although most 'ordinary' useres don't change them from default settings...
A lot of people don't realise this as well unfortunately, let alone even know the log in details for their routers :)
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3 Attachment(s)
Re: Locked out of Xara DP11 once again!
It is repeatable. After reading your responses with only my wired connection active and without closing my browser, I easily started XDP11. I then closed XDP11, went to Change PC Settings (I'm using Win 8.1) and turned on WiFi. As a check for connectivity I went to my browser and opened a new tab. In the new tab I browsed to http://www.ebroadcast.com.au which is an online TV program guide and viewed the current program which loaded in a millisecond and proved to me that my connection is working because it displayed today's date - I'm in Australia and we're 10 hours ahead of GMT, so it's 6:30am Saturday 25/6/'16 here. I left the browser open and attempted to start XDP11 again and was greeted by the Xara Activation dialogues. I captured the three screens. I exited the dialogue. I plugged my wired connection back in, then went to Change PC Settings and turned off WiFi. I immediately browsed to http://www.abc.net.au which is our national broadcaster's website and it too loaded today's info without delay again proving I'm not viewing a cached image. I then started XDP11 again. It started promptly and without any activation issues. :cool: The screens I captured are here...
Attachment 113102 Attachment 113101 Attachment 113100
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Re: Locked out of Xara DP11 once again!
explain to me how this is not a firewall issue
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1 Attachment(s)
Re: Locked out of Xara DP11 once again!
Easy! I use Windows 10 Firewall Control which allows full monitoring and control of the Windows firewall. I've highlighted the entry for XDP11. I recommend it. It is a right royal pain when you first install it because it asks about everything it sees for the first time and tells you about everything it blocks, but it is fully configurable and once you're comfortable with how it is managing the firewall you can disable annoying notifications and enjoy using your software. I use the free version and despite it's name it is for Windows 7, 8, 8.1 & 10, there are 32bit and 64 bit versions, and there's also a version for XP! From http://www.sphinx-soft.com :)
Attachment 113103
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Re: Locked out of Xara DP11 once again!
Handrawn, I didn't mention the router's firewall. These are usually hardware firewalls that are there to block incoming cyber attacks. Leaving the default settings in place is recommended. There are certain characteristics of the data and protocols in cyber attacks which are detected by these firewalls. I would not consider fiddling with mine. I very much doubt that Xara would be doing anything that would trigger a WiFi router's firewall to block their access. The firewall in a WiFi router would be more concentrated on blocking external access by WiFi rather than through the wired lan, which job is down to the modem's inbuilt firewall, and I've demonstrated that it is not blocking Xara.
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Re: Locked out of Xara DP11 once again!
Quote:
Originally Posted by jatdear
Easy!
ok using a different product I also use firewall in 'interactive' mode
you have just defined the way you use your firewall, but that is all
maybe Rob could confirm exactly what needs to have access, because I have a suspicion [but no confirmation] that it is more than just DesignerPro.exe itself
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Re: Locked out of Xara DP11 once again!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
handrawn
... I have a suspicion [but no confirmation] that it is more than just DesignerPro.exe itself
Here's confirmation that it isn't:
Attachment 113105
All I did was to enable the 'log balloon' in Windows 10 Firewall Control, then start XDP11. As XDP11 started, the list of addresses it "phoned home" to grew to what I captured in the screen shot above. If you want to know exactly what it sends to Xara you need to install a 'sniffer' and let it record the session which you can then comb through at your leisure :)
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Re: Locked out of Xara DP11 once again!
have you done a similar process check to see if DesignerPro.exe calls up routines internally which then seperately initiate outbound traffic?
have you looked into the MAC address suggestion that Luke mentioned earlier ?
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Re: Locked out of Xara DP11 once again!
All outbound traffic is shown by Windows 10 Firewall Control when it is set to show the log balloon, its not limited to any single program, so by default, yes I have because I have not seen anything else in the log balloon after XDP11 is up and stable. So far it looks to me like XDP11 only phones home to check the registration/activation stuff whilst its starting up, after that who knows?
The point of this thread is that some users have been prevented from starting their registered and activated software by something unexpected. The testing I have done shows that 1. there is nothing underhanded going on at startup time, 2. there is a sensitivity to my network specifics.
I can only offer the following advice based on my experience: 1. If the Registration/Activation dialogue pops up when you least expect it, DO NOT proceed to the Device Management nor Check License dialogues because you will enter a downward spiral of frustration! 2. See if your networking specifics have changed and see if you can change them back. If not, see if you can start the program with your networking disabled.
I'm not a developer nor a programmer, just a user like you. I have been able to learn a bit about what is going on with a few freeware tools. I try to be in control of my own computing destiny. When my XDP11 failed to proceed I was able to find the cause and sort it myself. I have shared my experience in detail and hope that it can assist my fellow users to move forward with artistic endeavours rather than wasting time trying to get out of software quicksand. I like the Xara software, it is innovative and clever and it has a lot of very talented users. Sadly, I don't use it to anywhere near it's potential. When I get stuck, I come here first and there is always some assistance :D
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Re: Locked out of Xara DP11 once again!
I think for most 'starting the program with networking disabled' would not count as a solution, and depending what else is in progress may not even be practical
I would be interested in whether you pin this down specifically to a change of access route, be it MAC address or otherwise - I say this because, as I mentioned earlier, this happened to me under circumstances where the access route had not changed - of course it is always possible that there is more than one issue...
I have never used the firewall software you refer to - I assume that all routines that are blocked/allowed when trying to connect will be logged as such in your 'balloon' dialog - including those operating at system level?
just out of interest have you run a repair on the program [as administrator] - you never know it might reset
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Re: Locked out of Xara DP11 once again!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
handrawn
I think for most 'starting the program with networking disabled' would not count as a solution
I agree, but it might just help to get an urgent job done. Of course the next step would be to report any incident to Xara, also mentioning this thread because there is evidence here of activation bugginess. I still recommend not proceeding with the Registration/Activation thing if you know you have not done anything to trigger it. All I'm suggesting is: if you're on a different network that might be the 'problem'.
A mac address is a unique identifier of a piece of equipment and it's manufacturer, although it can be 'spoofed' in some cases, but I don't want to start messing about with that sort of thing. If Xara are using mac addresses as a trigger of changes, they should ensure that they are not monitoring external equipment. I don't want to push my luck by fiddling about any deeper. I assume Xara have the people and resources to get this sorted.
Windows 10 Firewall Control is only an interface for Windows' own internal firewall and I like it primarily for that reason. You can make it as verbose or as silent as you like and as specific or broad. You can see all sorts of gubbins, e.g. what software is accessing the network and details such ip addresses and how much activity there is. You can block and unblock one or as many programs as you like. You can completely 'bolt the door' or completely open it to let everything through. You can use the free version or buy the Pro version and control and monitor even more stuff, e.g. Windows' own internals. You can export and import your settings. I have had other firewall software over the years and this is by far my preferred solution. :)
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Re: Locked out of Xara DP11 once again!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Luke.Hart
It could well be that it's the MAC address of the internet connection that is different and not the IP address. I very much don't think anyone would use the IP address as machine specific information, not least because 99.9% of machines will be in the same range.
It could very well be the mac address that's the problem. I'm not familiar enough with them to dig into that and test it. I know you can spoof a mac address in some modems and routers, but have not tried it. What happens for example if two things on a network have the same mac address? It's supposed to be unique. In any case we shouldn't need to hack/spoof mac addresses to make Xara's activation system work.
And just nitpicking here... The following list is from https://www.arin.net/knowledge/address_filters.html and I'm pretty sure I've also seen 192.169.0.0/xx
10.0.0.0/8 IP addresses: 10.0.0.0 -- 10.255.255.255.
172.16.0.0/12 IP addresses: 172.16.0.0 -- 172.31.255.255.
192.168.0.0/16 IP addresses: 192.168.0.0 – 192.168.255.255.
All I'm saying is that there are a lot of possible private IPs, and not one of them is the default for 99.9% of machines.
Over and out.